Some writers, in deference to gender neutrality, use
the word "actor" to refer to performers of either gender.
One almost needs to use that particular convention when
reviewing the work of the Los Angeles Women's Shakespeare
Company, as describing Lisa Wolpe as a brilliant
Shakespearean "actress" is unduly limiting. Wolpe is a fine
interpreter of the Bard, and the fact that she has created a
company that enables her to address many of Shakespeare's
greatest roles, regardless of gender, is our gain.

In Othello, playing at Boston Court, Wolpe takes a
turn as Iago. It's difficult to pay attention to Iago's
initial dialogue, as your brain is taking a moment to
process how perfectly Wolpe creates a male character. It's
the same feeling you get when you first hear a British
performer flawlessly pull off an American accent - you just
marvel at the fact they're actually doing it, before you can
take it for granted and watch the story. Linda Bisesti is
posturing as a man in the role of Roderigo, but Wolpe's Iago
actually is male. It isn't about a swagger or a
lowering of voice. Just watching the way Iago sits and
holds his cigarette tells you not only that he's a man, but
a man of a certain class (not that high), a man of a certain
attitude (that the world should give him what he believes is
his due), and a man of thoughtfulness. Wolpe approaches
Iago with a level of understanding - if not actual sympathy
- for the villain, creating a character who is conniving,
but also delightfully human. Her Iago knows he's never
going to be a dominating physical presence, so he smoothly
talks other people into thinking that what he wants
is in their best interest. And when Othello
promotes Cassio over Iago, Iago feels unjustly betrayed, and
thinks that revenge is his right.

Wolpe's Iago is complex, but her interpretation is never
confused. It's a splendid performance, well-served by
Wolpe's own direction. (Watch Iago's wife, Emilia, while
Iago watches a seductive dancer. There is no dialogue
spoken, but their wordless interaction tells you everything
you need to know about their marriage.) The problem - and
it is a problem that frequently plagues LA Women's
Shakespeare - is that Wolpe is not backed up by a company
that matches her talents.

Fran Bennett starts off solidly enough as Othello - a
confident military man with no artifice about him. His
words are blunt, and Bennett matches them with a blunt
delivery. It's easy to see how Bennett's Othello will fall
prey to someone as scheming as Iago - he's a man of simple
goodness who assumes everyone around him is of a similar
mindset. But as the play progresses, more is required of
Othello, and Bennett's portrayal can't keep up. A scene in
which Othello has a seizure is particularly unconvincing.
(Kimberleigh Aarn plays Cassio with the same sort of decent
goodness that can't even conceive of deception - and it
works better for Cassio because Cassio doesn't face the same
emotional challenges Othello does.) While Bennett's Othello
is weaker in the second act, Nell Geisslinger's Desdemona
gets stronger. She opens the show in a dance with Othello
(which nicely establishes her handkerchief as a key prop),
but her movements aren't committed enough to express how
truly swept away Desdemona is. But in her climactic second
act scene with Othello, it is Geisslinger's Desdemona who
truly dominates. Cognizant of her fate on one level, trying
to change it on another, Geisslinger brings a tension and
urgency to a scene to which, let's face it, everybody
already knows the conclusion. Also notable is Katrinka
Wolfson, who brings quite a bit to her portrayal of Emilia
- focussing not only on the "concerned maid" element of
her role, but also delivering an Emilia who is smart enough
to be a match for Iago.

Wolpe has set the play in the 1930s, and some fascist
images and uniforms add an extra dimension to this
particular exploration of evil. There is a lot to recommend
this production, but a few uneven performances keep it from
being as powerful as it could have been.

Othello runs at the Theatre @ Boston Court in
Pasadena through March 23, 2008. For information and
tickets, see www.bostoncourt.com.